Travis improves

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 – Randy Travis was transferred to a specialized heart center for further treatment for a heart condition, his doctors said today.

Travis was admitted through an emergency department to Baylor Medical Center at McKinney on Sunday. "He had been in previously excellent health until three weeks prior when he developed a viral upper respiratory illness," said Dr. William Gray, the director of cardiovascular services at Baylor Medical Center at McKinney.

Travis was admitted with a presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. He was stabilized and subsequently sent to THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano for a higher level of specialized care in the care of Dr. Michael Mack, according to a statement.

"We determined together in a joint decision, that a higher level of specialized care was appropriate and therefore we transferred him to THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano," said Mack, the director of cardiovascular disease at the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas. "Since his transfer, his condition has stabilized, and he has shown signs of improvement. "

"On behalf of his Mr. Travis' family, friends and associates, we would like to express our extreme gratitude for the overwhelming affection and support that Mr. Travis has received," he said. "We will be giving further updates as his condition changes."

CD reviews for Randy Travis

Not having heard Randy Travis' new material, one could mistakenly think a guest vocalist was taking the first licks of "I'm Movin' On," his new album's opening cut. Is that Hank Snow? No, can't be. Refrain ... still the same voice. Second verse - oh man, that's Randy Travis! Wow, his voice sure has changed. Well, yeah, when you've been singing professionally since the mid-1980s, the ol' pipes can slip a bit. And Travis, 54, has battled serious »»»

Randy Travis hasn't had it easy in recent years with abuse, arrests and this past summer, a major health issue of a stroke. But one thing that hasn't changed is the ease with which the North Carolina native, credited with spearheading the Neo Traditionalist movement 25 years ago, tackles traditional material. That's what this disc is about - Travis doing his take on songs that influenced him.
From the sounds of it, Travis had a lot of good music kicking around the house, especially Merle Haggard. »»»

When Randy Travis released "A Few Ole Country Boys" in 1990, it was plain to see the message of his duet with (and ode to) the legendary George Jones hit close to home. Just a few years removed from his stint as a cook at Music City bar The Nashville Palace, Travis' delivery of lyrics such as "Not too many years ago/When dreams weren't comin' true/I'd reach for inspiration/Sometimes it would be you" carried heavy-hitting meaning by the budding star. »»»

Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»

Concert Review: Watkins steps out on his own –
At the ripe old age of 39, Sean Watkins is doing things a bit differently when it comes to his music. By far the biggest sign is that he is in the midst of his first ever solo headlining tour.
That may seem a bit odd almost after having released four solo albums since 2001.
But when you have your main gig being in the trio Nickel Creek, pus other... »»»

Concert Review: No surprise, Jackson and friends still Keepin' It Country –
Alan Jackson calling his current tour Keepin' It County reads like one of those 'no duh' statements because the Georgia born singer/songwriter has always kept his music traditional - even in the face of the continuing rock and pop-ization of contemporary country music. But keep it country he did once again for a sold out audience on the... »»»

Some in the mainstream country audience may only know Angaleena Presley as one of the two other singers in Miranda Lambert's side group, Pistol Annies. But to view Presley in only that limited light would be selling her severely short. For starters, Pistol Annies is a trio of extra strong female country music writers and by no means merely Lambert's side group.... »»»

Jorma Kaukonen has reached that stage in life where any break he takes is well earned and completely deserved. The 74-year-old singer/songwriter is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee for his work with Jefferson Airplane and his solo career has kept him busy - and fans deliriously happy - for an astonishing 41 years when he's not sometimes playing with Hot Tuna.... »»»

The last time Kenny Roby assembled 6 String Drag to record a new studio album, Bill Clinton had just handily secured his second term as president. That album was 1997's acclaimed "High Hat," and within months of its release, 6SD had dissolved, sadly capping a brief Americana/roots rock run that had seemed so promising after their brilliant 1994 self-titled debut...... »»»

The first album by James McMurtry in six years proves that some simply get better with age. And it opens with a gorgeous, deliberate performance, "Copper Canteen," and a line about cleaning his gun before hunting season comes to a close. From there, McMurtry looks back at his youth and the changing world today "before the pension kicks in." »»»

Over the more than 20 years since upstate (way, way upstate) New York natives Eric and Leigh Gibson debuted on the bluegrass scene, it has been more or less de rigueur for the journalists and reviewers who write about them to link them to the long and proud tradition - especially in country music in all its forms - of siblings... »»»

The Mavericks returned in 2013 with an acclaimed new album and much touring after nearly a decade's absence. Here they are back again in 2015, minus one of their founding members, but with another dynamite new effort. »»»

In the Instagram era where people use apps to turn digital snapshots into sepia-toned portraits, Steve Earle's 16th studio release finds its place with an old-school sound. It's a Polaroid of rural country, blues and bluegrass frozen in time. But instead of outdated, it plays on the nostalgia of its modern audience. »»»

Although Jorma Kaukonen will forever be bound to the enormous legacy of Jefferson Airplane, it's important to remember the gifted guitarist's tenure in the band was a mere seven years. He and bassist Jack Casady exceeded that total with Hot Tuna - which they'd started two years before leaving the Airplane - by 1978 when they released the live "Double Dose" album. »»»